BROWN v. PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT, ET AL

Filing 3

MEMORANDUM OPINION Signed by Judge Paul L. Friedman on 10/16/09. (ls, )

FILED
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

OCT 302009 Clerk, u.s. District and
Bankruptcy Courts

J e r o m e Julius Brown, Sr., Plaintiff,

v.
Prince George's County Police Services et at., Defendants.

Civil Action No.

09 2U35

MEMORANDUM OPINION This matter is before the Court on its initial review of plaintiffs pro se complaint and application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. The Court will grant the informa pauperis application and dismiss the case because the complaint fails to meet the minimal pleading requirements of Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Pro se litigants must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tisch,
656 F. Supp. 237,239 (D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires complaints to contain" (1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction [and] (2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a); see Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1950 (2009); Ciralsky v. CIA, 355 F.3d 661,668-71 (D.C. Cir. 2004). The Rule 8 standard ensures that defendants receive fair notice of the claim being asserted so that they can prepare a responsive answer and an adequate defense and determine whether the doctrine of res judicata applies. Brown v. Califano, 75 F.R.D. 497, 498 (D.D.C. 1977).

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Plaintiff, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, sues police officers in Palmer Park, Maryland, for $100,000. The complaint consists of one page and a stack of unexplained attachments. The allegations are incomprehensible and, thus, fail to provide any notice of a claim and the basis of federal court jurisdiction. A separate order of dismissal accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.

United States District Judge Date: October .....L.!-, 2009

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